Hopper-bottom car.



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G. l. KING.

HUPPER BOTTDM CAR.

. (Application led Nov. 21, 1900.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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UPPER BOTTOM CAR. (Appximin med Nov. 21, 1960,;

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Nrrnn @raras GEORGE I. KING, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN OAR da FOUNDRY COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

HOPPER-BOTTOIVI CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 669,798, dated March 12, 1901'. Application filed November 21, 1900. Serial No. 37,211. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern;

Be it known that I, GEORGE I. KING, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Detroit, count-y of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Hopper Bottom Cars, of which the following is a full, clear, and eXact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a side elevational view, partly in section, of a hopper-bottom car constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2 2, Eig. l. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3 3,.Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 4 4, Eig. l. Fig. 5 is a sectional View illustrating the manner of arranging a wooden door in my improved car. Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of a modified form of construction wherein the side sills are not continuous throughout the length of the car. Fig. 7 is a sectional viewlon line '7 7, Fig. 6, showing the manner of forming the tension-ange for the plategirder side in the absence of a continuous side sill. Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the plategirder side, the inclined floor-supports attached to the bolster, and the side sills attached to said bolster and to the plate-girder side, said side sills` being in tension when the body of the car is loaded and serving to prevent the spread of the bolsters; and Fig. 9 is a similar view showing the center sill in tension by being connected to the bolsters, upon which rest the inclined floor-supports. Fig, l0 is a detail View of the spacing-thimble.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in' hopper-bottom cars of that type wherein the entire structure preferably consists ot' steel of structural forms or bent or ianged shapes and castings. In the accompanying drawings I have shown hopper-bottom cars having both steel and wooden floors, and I will state that either type of flooring can be used in connection with my Vpresent invention.

lhe type of car shown in the accompanying drawings is what is commonly known as hopper bottomthat is, the floors at the ends of the car are inclined, preferably at an angle of about thirty degrees, a centrally-located eXit for the load being provided at the bottom of the car, which exit-opening is con-` trolled by doors (not shown) operated by any suitable mechanism. The exit-opening ex'- tends across the bottom of the car and is interrupted by the center sills, which are preferably covered by a hood, as is well understood.

The side walls of the car are 'in the form of plate-girders and in and of themselves are capable of carrying the entire load. l-Iowever, in actual practice it is figured that these plate-girder sides carry about seventy per cent. of the entire load, the remaining load being distributed over the ends of the center sills, the bolsters, and possibly the side sills. I will state that neither the center nor the side sills are relied upon to take or carry any considerable portion of the load, as they are not capable of sustaining such as beams. The side walls being in the form of plate-girders and consisting of sheets of metal sheared to the propel' shape are reinforced or strengthened at their ends by what I term inclined stieningbraces, which serve the double purpose of resisting the shearing forces set up in the webs of the plate-girder sides, as well as strengthening said webs against lateral bulging at their respective lines of attachment, These inclined -stiifening-braces extend downwardly and outwardly toward the points of support-to wit, the body-bolstersand continuing below the Hoor-line form members of what I will designate as floor-supports. These floor-supports are preferably arranged in the transverse plane of the depending ends of the stiifening-braces and are inclined at an angle of ninety degrees to the inclination of the floors of the car. Other inclined stiffening-braces are also provided; but these last-mentioned stiifening-braces are not attached to the su pporting-bolsters, but carry at their` lower ends transverse floor-beams, which support the fioor-load at this point. These last-mentioiied stiffening-braces are also connected to the side sills at their lower IOO ' eeejes hufng stresses. The plate-girder sides have compression-anges at their upper edges, while their inclined lower edges are either anged under or have the floor-sheets attached to them, which floor-sheets form the tension-anges of the plate-girder sides along their inclined lower edges.

The devices for supporting the plate-girder sides and holding them in their proper relation to each other consist of the main supports, known as the bolsters, upon which rest the inclined floor-supports. The centers of the holsters are connected bythe center sills, which when the plate-girder sides are under 'load are placed in tension, they serving to hold the holsters against spreading apart. The side sills are connected to the ends of the holsters and to the webs of the plate-girders at their lower edges and are also placed in tension under load, the. side sills and floor-supports practically forming with the inclined lower edges of the plate-girder' sides triangular trusses. These so called triangular trusses, together with the cen'- tersills in tension, form what may be termed compound trusses for supporting the plategirder sides.

In an application filed by me on or about February 26, 1900, Serial No. 6,534, I have shown and described a car having the characteristics above referred to, the car forming the subject-matter of said application being designed to carry a load of one hundred and ten thousand pounds, the weight thereof being about thirty-eight thousand three hundred pounds. The car shown in the accompanying drawings is designed to carry a load of about eighty-eight thousand pounds, the construction weighing about thirty-fou r thousand six hundred pounds.

The invention of the construction shown in the accompanying drawings consists in the arrangement, construction, and combination of the several parts, all as will hereinafterbe described and afterward pointed out in the claims.

Oar-bodyrIn the drawings, 1 indicates the side plates of the car-body, which are preferahly sheared to the proper shape, and 2 indicates the floor-plates, formed with downturned side flanges 3, which are riveted to the inclined lower edges of the side plates.

4 represents the end plates, to whose lower edges are secured the angles 5, the vertical legs of said angles being secured to the inner face of the end plates, while the inclined legs `extend under the floor-plates, which are secured thereto by suitable rivets. Angle-rails 6 are arranged around the upper edges of the side and end plates, said angles forming the compression-flanges for the plate-girder sides. According to the construction shown in Fig. 2, wherein the floor-sheet is hanged down at its sides and riveted to the inclined lower edge of the side sheet, said floor-sheet forms the tension-ange of the plate-girder side.

In an application Iiled by me August 17,

1900, serially numbered 27,163, I have shown the floor-sheets provided with downturned flanges a portion of their length, the hoppersheet 13 being flanged under the unanged portion of the floor-sheets. This necessitates hand-riveting to secure the floor-sheets to the hopper-sheet, and Iprefer to provide the iioorsheets with downturned flanges throughout their entire length, so that these floor-sheets may be secured to the hoppersheets 13 through such downturned fianges, and by Stich construction a machine-riveter may be employed.

The hopper-The exit-opening for the load, which is arranged about the center of the car, isclosedbysuitahledoors. (Notshown.) The floor-sheets extend down to this hopper-opening, while inclined hopper-sheets 13 form the outer Walls of the opening and have their upper edges riveted to the side sheets 1, as shown in Fig. 4. The lower edges of these hoppersheets are reinforced by angles 8, the outer eX- tremities of whose horizontal legs are flanged upwardly, as at 9, to serve as a guide for the doorhangers,which are pivoted to brackets 10.

15 indicates vertical posts, preferably in the form of angle or T bars, said posts being arranged on the outer faces of the side sheets about midway the length of the car and in line with the hopper-opening. The length of these posts is preferably coincident with the depth of the side sheets at this point. These posts serve to 'strengthen the hopper-sheet at this point by resisting lateral bulging.

The center .wIlL-The center sills of my improved car are preferably in the form of channels and extend throughout the length of the car, said center sills preferably carrying the draft-rigging at their ends. (Not shown.) These center sillsare connected to the bolsters, preferably forming a portion of said holsters, and when the body of the car is loaded said center sills are placed in tension by reason of the inclination of the main floorsupports, which are arranged thereupon.

The side silla-The side sills are shown in Fig. 1 as consisting of two oppositely-arranged angle-bars 16 and 17, preferably parallel to each other and secured directly to the ends of the holsters. The upper member of the side sills or the angles 16 preferably terminate at the outer posts 15, while the lower members 17 are continuous in the construction shown in Fig. 1 throughout the length of the car. These members 17 are secured directly to the lower edges of the side sheets and form tension-flanges therefor.

18 indicates a reinforcing-plate secured to the deepest portion ofthe side sheet and extending inwardly and flanged downwardly, said flanged portion being riveted to the outside hopper-sheet 13. The ends of this reinforcing-plate are bent down and secured to angles 24, which are supported at their inner ends by brackets riveted to the center sills. These angle-bars 16 and 17 form the main members of the side sills, (shown in Fig. 1,)

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necting-rivets.

scares and in orderto strengthen them I use latticebars 19; but it is obvious that a web-plate may be used, or, if desired, a single Z-shaped bar can be employed. ,These side sills when the car is loaded are placed in tension and form members of triangular trusses, of which the main inclined iioor supports and the floor-sheets form the other members. As shown in Fig. 6, these side sills may consist of Z-shaped bars interrupted at the middle portion of the car, in which event it may be desirable to flange the bottom edge of the side sheet outwardly, as indicated at la, said outturned iiange forming an attaching-support, through a filler 17, for the reinforcingstrip 18, which is riveted thereto, these parts thus constituting the tension-flange for the plate-girder side at this point.

End supports and bracing- 50 indicates the end sill, which may be of any suitable or desirable construction and to which the side and center sills above referred to are connected. This end sill of course supports the vertical end posts, which are secured to the end plates of the car.

48 indicates connection-plates, which are preferably secured to the side sills and to which are attached the inclined end supports 49, which supports are also'attached to the side walls of the car.

8O indicates vertical connection-plates riveted to the outer faces of the side sills, and to which are secured twin brace-bars 81, extending upwardly substantially at right angles to the plane of the Hoor-sheets of the car-body, said brace-bars being riveted to the side sheets and one or both extending to the upper edge of the car-body for strengthening the same at this point. Each connection-plate 80 is attached to the end of the bolster, and these twin brace-bars, as they have been called, form above the floor-line what I have hereinbefore designated as the inclined stiffeningbraces,7 serving the double function of resisting the shearing forces set up in the side sheets at. this point, as well as strengthening the side sheet against lateral bulging. Beneath the door-line these brace-bars actas members of a frame constituting the main support for the floorand car-body. The ontwardly-extending anges of these twin braces are arranged next each other, and between them are secured connection-plates 82, preferably in the form of castings provided with spacing-bosses between the twin braces to space them apart and also receive the con- Thim bles or elongated washers are also arranged between these twin braces for the reception of connecting-rivets, as shown in Fig. l. By spacing these braces apart a wider bearing on the end of the bodybolster is obtained, which permits the employment of a machine-riveter at this connection, which is one of the mcst important in the car. Connectioii-plates 82 are preferably made of malleable iron and carry a floorbeam 12, which is riveted thereto, said doorbeam, according to the construction shown in Fig. 2, terminating short of the downturned iiange of the floor-plates, the connection-plate 82 being likewise recessed for this downtnrned' flange,while in the construction shown in Fig. 5 floor-beam 12 terminates under the inturned flange of the side sheet.

78 indicates an angle secured to the bolster cover-plate 77, and to the floor-beam 12 are connected the inclined members 79 of the main supporting-frame for the floor. This main supporting-frame may, if desired, be reinforced and stitfened by diagonals attached to the several parts by suitable connectionplates. This main supporting-'frame forthe car, it will be observed, is coincident with the body-bolster, which body-bolster practically forms the lower member thereof, being reinforced by the cover-plate 77 and the angle 78. The inclined members of the frame, consisting of the brace-bars 81 beneath the Hoor-line of the car and at the sides thereof and the angles 79, are arranged in a plane at right angles to the inclination of the door-plates of the car and support the floor-load, and being in a line with the direction the ioor tends to deflect Linder load are subjected to direct compression stresses only. These inclined members, which may be termed the compression members, are located in line with the bolster and attached directly thereto, while the Hoor-beam 12 offers a continuous transverse bearing for the floor-plates in addition to tying the inclined compression members against lateral displacement.

88 indicates inclined stiffening-braces arranged exteriorly the plate-girder sides and rivetedthereto, said braces extending below the floor-line and carrying a floor-beam 12, which hoor-beam has its ends connected directly to the inclined stiffening-braces or to a connection-plate riveted thereto. These floor-beams carried by the lower ends of the inclined stiffening-braces 88 transmit the load at this point to the plate-girder sides, in addition to which by being riveted to the side and center sills said beam also partially snpports the center sills. The lower ends of these braces 88 are also extended down and connected to the side sills and serve to strengthen said side sills laterally.

By the above construction it will be noted that the plate-girder sides carry all of the load that can be transmitted to them, and by reason of their great depth they are more than strong enough t-o carry these loads, so that the center and side sills may be extremely light. ln fact, the side sills may be discoutin ned at the middle of the car. The longitudinal sills in the underframing of mypresent construction are not relied upon to carry any greater proportion of the vertical load than their rigidity will permit, they being employed principally to stiien and maint-ain in rigid position the supports for the plate-girders--to wit, the body-bolsters-and also to act as columns when the car is subjected to IOO IOS

huffng stresses. This underframing is of course subjected to stresses due to the load in the car, dividing itself among the several paths leading to the supporting-holsters in proportion to their respective rigidities, as suggested above; but the rigidity of the side girders, with their great depth, is more than sufficient to carry the entire load without relying upon the underframing. Various parts of the underframing associated with the plategirders and connected thereto are principally relied upon to hold said plate-girders in such position that they may properly perform the duty assigned to them.

In Fig. 8 I have diagrammatically illustrated the plate-girder side supported at its ends by the main supporting-frame inclined downwardly and outwardly to the holsters. In this construction it will be noted that these supporting-frames are in compression under vertical load and that the side sills attached to the ends of the bolster and to the plategirder sides are in tension, the whole forming, in connection with the car-body, triangular trusses. It will he seen from this diagrammatic View that to support the structure it is not necessary for the side sills to continue throughout the length of the car, all that is required being that they shall he attached at some point to the plate-girder and to the supporting-holsters, whereby said holsters are prevented from being spread outwardly on account of the inclination of the main supporting-frame.

In Fig. 9 it will he seen that since the main supporting-frames are inclined and placed in compression under vertical load the center sills are also in tension, and for this reason these center sills can likewise he discontinuous if some other satisfactory method he employed to take care of the bufing and pulling strains; but they are preferably made continuous for the above purpose and to hold the holsters in position to prevent spreading, as before described. The advantage of this construction is that dead weight is reduced not only by the use of discontinuous side sills, but a great saving is also eected by dispensing with the continuation of the car sides down to the holsters, as has heretofore been done.

In order to support the main shaft of the door-operating mechanism, I arrange pendent angles 2O on the side sills, connecting the lower ends thereof by a cross-angle 2l, upon which is secured a bearing 22, in which the main operating-shaft is mounted. A corresponding hearing is mounted upon a connection-plate fastened to the lower flange of the center sill.

It is obvious that while I have shown and described certain sections of commerciallyrolled angles different sections may be employed, as well as bent or flanged plates, and

therefore I do not wish to he understood as limiting myself to the particular sections nor the material of which they are composed, ex-

scenes cept as such limitations may appear in the p claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a car, the combination with the hopper plates, of reinforcing angles secured thereto, said angles being formed with a guiding-flange for the door-hangers; substantially as described.

2. In a car, the combination with the side sills, of pendent angles 20, an angle 2l carried by the lower ends of said angle 20, the horizontal leg of said angle 2l being uppermost, and a hearing 22 upon said horizontal leg, substantially as described.

3. In a car, the combination with a side wall in the form of aplate-girder, of inclined stiffening-braces to better resist the shearing forces and prevent the plates forming the side walls from buckling under action of the shearing forces, and spacing-thimhles between said inclined stiffening-braces; substantially as described. v

4. The combination with a hopper-bottom car whose side Walls are in the form of plategirders, of a pair ofinclined stiening-hraces, a casting provided with bosses interposed hetween said stiifening-hraces, and a floor-beam secured to said casting; substantially as described.

5. In a car, the combination with side walls in the form of plate-girders, of inclined stiffening-braces extending down and secured to the supporting-holsters, and thimhles interposed between said braces; substantially as described.

6. In a car, the combination with side Walls in the form of plate-girders, of supportingholsters, inclined floor-supporting frames, and discontinuous side sills; substantially as described.

7. In a car, the combination with side walls in the form of plate-girders, of vertical stiffening-posts arranged about the center of the side walls, inclined stiening-hraces arranged near the ends of the side walls, supportingholsters, inclined supporting-frames resting upon said holsters, and discontinuous side sills; substantially as described.

8. The combination with a car-body, of supporting-holsters therefor, continuous center sills connecting said holsters, and discontinuous side sills connecting the ends of said holsters and the side Walls of the car; substantially as described.

9. In a car, the combination with the side walls in the form of plate-girders, of supporting-holsters therefor, inclined supportingframes secured to said holsters and forming the compression members of compound supporting-trusses, continuous center sills, and discontinuous side sills which form the tension members of said trusses; substantially as described.

lO. The combination with a hopper-bottom IOO IIO

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oar-body whose side walls are in the form of plate-girders, of inclined stiening-braees at the ends thereof, which are continued beneath the floor-line to form members of an in clined su pportin g-frarne, floor-beams secured to said inclined stiftening-braees, body-bolsters upon which said inclined floor-frames are supported, center sills secured to said body-holsters, and discontinuous side sills which are secured to the ends of said bolsters and to the plate-girder side Walls; substantially as described.

11. The combination with the side sheets and the hopper-sheets 13, of the inclined bottom plates formed with downturned flanges throughout their length, and securing devices which pass through said flanges on the side and hopper sheets; substantially as described.

12. In a hopper-bottom car, the combination with the side sills, of the side sheets eX- tending down to said side sills, hopper-sheets which extend below the side sheets, and inclined bottom sheets formed with downturned flanges throughout their lengths,` and securing devices which pass through said flanges and the side and hopper sheets; substantially as described.

13. In a hopper-bottom car, the combination with the side sheets which are sheared or cut off at an angle along their lower edges, hopper-sheets which are sheared or cut olf at an angle along their lower edges, said hopper-sheets forming continuations of the side sheets, and inclined floor-sheets formed with downturned flanges along their sides which extend to the lower edges of the side and hopper sheets, and securing devices which pass through said anges and said side and hopper sheets; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aihX my signature, in the presence of two witnesses, this 19th day of November, 1900.

GEORGE I. KING.

Witnesses:

WM. H. SCOTT, A. S. GRAY. 

